Granted, the cut to a black screen during dinner in a diner left a lot of unresolved issues for a dysfunctional mob family that had mesmerized cable audiences for eight years.

But maybe the heated debate Monday over the ending of the finale is an example of why the series has been so popular. Unlike so much on TV, it has been unpredictable. Instead of relying on one-dimensional characters and sanitized plots, it offered continual surprises, including Sunday's non-ending.

Indeed, the real reason that "The Sopranos" has captivated so many viewers may be that it was so complex, just like life.